29.5.13

What's Up Wednesday

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk where writers post about what's up by answering four questions. If you want to participate, go here.

WHAT I'M READING

I finished reading One a few days ago, and that was perfect timing because a book I won in a giveaway came in the mail. So my current read is Real by Katy Evans. This isn't the kind of book I would normally read. But I can say that after reading Beautiful Disaster (which I didn't like but...I won it in another giveaway...so I can't complain that much) that it's way better in writing style, and in plot. I'm not really a fan of the main character. But it is an interesting story. It deals with bipolar disorder and Underground boxing and it has been compared to Beautiful Disaster but, like I said, it's a better read. Granted the main character makes me roll my eyes at times, this book has been an experience so far.

WHAT I'M WRITING

So over the weekend I wrote over 7K for the NA Science Fiction that I'm plotting. I have the first act and parts of the second act outlined which really makes writing a lot easier. I am a pantser though I am desperately trying to change my ways. I'm learning a lot about what works for me as a writer, and I now know that it's better for me to have an idea of what I want to write before jumping in to it like I normally do.

I am also thinking about reworking the beginning of my NA Mystery wip because I'm the kind of writer who needs a solid beginning in order for me to go on, and I also think this new beginning would fit the story more and I might be able to keep most of what I have already written if I do a little reworking.

As for my NA SciFi it's called Starfall, and it's told from two POVs. One is a girl (Seren) who discovers that her friends aren't who she thought they were, and is pulled into a secret agency that deals with extraterrestrial affairs (think Men in Black meets the X-Files) and another is a prince (Nico) from another planet who cares more about the history of Earth than his duties to the throne. When his dying father asks him to find the 'fallen star' and use it to destroy earth, he is forced to choose between saving the world or obeying his father.

I love Science Fiction a lot and so I am really excited for this project. Here's a snippet from Nico's POV:

My
energy bar is now at fifty percent. At fifty five percent I can fight back but
I don’t think Altair will wait that long to recover. He doesn’t. His hands find
my neck in a matter of seconds, and squeeze tighter and tighter until the air
starts thinning and stars dot my vision. Only they’re not really stars. They’re
flecks of light against the darkness that is slowly starting to set in. I’m too
weak for this, and my body is slowly shutting down in defense. Once that
happens he’ll kill me. My brother will kill me without any remorse in his
heart.

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

Whenever I start a new project, I make a board on Pinterest for it. I'm a very visual person and sometimes I need to look at pictures whenever I'm writing so that I can get a feel for the setting. Also, for me, whenever I find pictures/music/quotes that fit a project I'm working on, it just makes the book feel real, like it can actually be written, and knowing that inspires me to keep writing, if that makes any sense. You can find the Pinterest board for Starfall here.

Speaking of quotes, the one that inspired most of Starfall's plot is this:

Be humble for you are made of Earth. Be noble for you are made of stars.
-Serbian proverb

WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO

I went to the meeting with the company who will most likely give me an internship next summer and was told that I might be able to shadow someone who works in their law department to see if I would like to intern there, which is really exciting because I want to go to law school and I'm trying to decide if I want go into criminal or corporate law. I do know for a fact that I want to be a lawyer, it's just deciding what kind I want to be is the tricky part.

Oh, and I decided to watch Doctor Who from the beginning. Not the beginning, beginning but from the reboot with the Ninth Doctor. I have a deep love for Christopher Eccleston's Doctor and I was sad to see him go, but rewatching this series has brought back some great memories. I also can't seem to find my Doctor Who set. I have series 3 on DVD and I was looking forward to watching it, only my mom decided to move things around while I was away at school and she can't remember where she put it. *sigh*

I hope everyone is having a good week so far.

Happy writing!

13
comments

I love that you're writing an NA sci-fi novel! I'm a big sci-fi fan, and it would be great to see the NA category branch out more. I enjoyed the snippet from your story and hope that the writing continues to go well. And good luck with that internship! Studying law sounds fascinating!

Thank you! I really wish there were more sci-fi novels in NA because I'm a HUGE sci-fi fan as well. Though I like contemporary novels, I think there are too many of them and NA, like YA, needs some variety. Plus, you know what they say about writing what you want to read... :)

I'm really hoping I get this internship next summer. Going to law school/becoming a lawyer has been my dream since middle school and the more I think about, the more I can see myself going into law so this will be a really great experience for me. Thanks again. :)

Very cool on all counts-- looks like lots of great writing projects happening and the internship sounds amazing. I adore Eccleston, too. He was so good in Elizabeth and Shallow Grave (though a bit scary in that last one). He's such an amazing actor.

Loved the excerpt! I'm a pantser, too, but my latest WIP is demanding an outline. It feels like I'm learning to write all over again, but it's a good thing. :)I'm also gearing up to watch Doctor Who for the first time, starting with the 9th doctor. I'm excited!

And, yeah, I like to read stories with a good romantic arc but sometimes it's nice to read ones where romance isn't the main focus. This doesn't mean there won't be a good amount of kissing in any of my projects (because there will be) but it won't be what the center of the story.

More movies I need to see! But he is a great actor. Sadly I haven't seen too many movies with him in it. I have to fix that soon though. Also, he's going to be in the new Thor movie so I'm excited about that.

You're going to love it. Doctor Who is one of my favorite shows and if you're a fan of science fiction/time travel than I have no doubt that you will enjoy it. It's always great watching Doctor Who for the first time so enjoy! :)

And outlining does feel like learning how to write all over again. Sometimes I do wish I could just pants my way through this project, but hard work/taking the time to think things through will work out in the long run.

You should definitely try using Pinterest. Ever since I saw someone else using it for their wips, I have been in love with idea. It really does help during those days when you feel you can't figure out what to write next.

I am so the same way about Pinterest, when I write! I love finding pictures that inspire my current WiPs and I constantly pull open my board, whenever I get stuck in my writing. I also love how I can add these same pictures to Scrivener, so they're tucked in safely with my actual writing!

And congrats on the job shadow opportunity! I was pre-law in school (headed down the corporate path, focusing on international business law) and I can say, that to this very day, one of my biggest regrets was dropping out of law school. I miss it every day - but I wish you the best of luck in chasing down your dream and I can't wait to read more about your opportunities here on your blog!

There are so many well-intentioned lies I could tell, but the truth is I am a magician in my twenties that eats words for breakfast. Though I think non-magic users would call me a writer. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from The Pennsylvania State University and am currently working towards my dream of becoming an attorney. I love to read YA/NA books and I occasionally write in both of those genres. My current work in progress is Unfair, a multicultural YA Epic Fantasy retelling of Snow White that isn't told from the POV of Snow White. If you want to know more, please visit my About Me page.